2014 Lotus Elise S Cup R Officially Unveiled At Autosport

The 2014 Lotus Elise S Cup R club racer was officially unveiled alongside other motorsport-prepped Lotus models at the Autosport show in Birmingham, England.

While the rest of the Elise lineup is no longer sold in the United States, Americans will have an opportunity to put this track-only version in their garages. Based on the supercharged 2014 Elise S, the Cup R was designed specifically for the Lotus Cup racing series, which will be run in the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Thailand, and China, and other locales.

The Elise S Cup R features a mid-mounted 1.8-liter supercharged four-cylinder engine, producing the same 217 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque as its road-going sibling.

To get the Cup R ready for the track, Lotus created a motorsports-specific map for the car's ECU, and added some aerodynamic enhancements in the form of a front splitter, winglets, a rear diffuser, floor extensions, and a rear-wing spoiler.

The added downforce--along with stiffer adjustable suspension--reduces lap times by 4.0 seconds over a 2.2-mile course compared to a regular Elise S, according to Lotus.

The 2014 Lotus Elise S Cup R is expected to cost 39,125 British pounds, or about $62,831. While owners won't be able to put a license plate on it, they will be able to race against fellow Lotus drivers in the Lotus Cup, which is open to anyone with an Elise, Exige, Evora, 340R, or 2-Eleven.